East Bay

For this week's Escape from SF, we head to nearby Anthony Chabot Park. Just 20 minutes outside of Oakland, the 5,067-acre park offers year-round camping and miles upon miles of hiking and riding trails (horses and bikes).

Just because it's wet outside doesn't mean you have to stay holed up inside your apartment. We rounded up some of the best indoor activities around Oakland to motivate you to explore on days when the weather has you dreading the outdoors.

First Friday is the perfect time to get to know Oakland. It’s a swirling, lively collection of open galleries, events, and food trucks. Every bar is jumping, every stage is occupied, and every part of the city is ready to be seen. Take BART or a Lyft instead of trying to park, carry cash for the staggering food truck lineup, and bring along your sense of adventure.

Once just a swampy divide between downtown and East Oakland, Lake Merritt, nexus of the Grand Lake neighborhood, is now a destination-worthy cultural hub, thanks to a recent $122 million renovation. With fresh green expanses, a revamped bird sanctuary, and one heck of a beautified lagoon, you’ll come for the nature but end up staying for the food.

Sure it's pretty sunny in SF, but it's nothing compared to the glorious rays that shine down just across the Bay Bridge. Take advantage of the warmth and good feels with this guide to the perfect sun-filled day in Oakland.

You might have spotted Skinny Pete from Breaking Bad walking around Lake Merritt this week. Actor Charles Baker is starring in a new indie film, August Falls, which is currently shooting in Oakland and Berkeley.

While San Francisco and Berkeley have long been lauded for their contributions to pop culture via food (Irish coffee and It's-It) and science (16 elements and counting), it's time Oakland gets its due. Here are seven things, invented in The Town, that your life would suck without. You're welcome.